Protective covering for crayons



Feb. 20, 1940. E. s. GARVEY PROTECTIVE COVERING FOR CRAYONS Filed Dec.13, 1937 Patented Feb. 20, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT FFECE 1. Claim.

This invention relates to protective coverings prevent breakage of theweak crayons, and havfor crayons and more particularly to a device forreinforcing and protecting crayons.

Prior to this invention, the objections to crayons have been partlyovercome by firmly wrapping the crayon material with paper which iscemented to the crayon, so as to reinforce the weak, brittle crayonmaterial at the same time forming a protective covering around thecrayon. However, this ordinary practice of separately wrapping eachindividual crayon requires expensive manufacturing operations, and thepaper does not always provide the desired reinforcement.

Furthermore, various dyes and the like are used to color the smudgycrayon material, and even when suchmaterial is uncolored, its chalkycomposition is an objectionable contaminative material. The ordinarypaper wrappings separate the hand of the userfrom the crayon, but i theobjection to soiling or staining the hands is often aggravated by thenecessity of removing the paper from unused portions of the crayon. Thispaper wrapping is firmly secured by an adhesive, and it is usuallyremoved by forciby using the finger nails and tips of the fingers toloosen and tear the paper from the crayon material, all of which resultsin the smearing or staining at the finger tips, so the ordinary paperwrapping is not a satisfactory protective covermg. l

Nevertheless, despite the cost of the paper ,wrappings, the lack ofadequate reinforcement therein, and the objections to the labor andsoiling of the fingers in removing the adhering paper, this old practicehas been rather generally adopted. It, therefore, appears that thisunsatisfactory manner of. reinforcing and protecting crayons may beregarded as the most desirable practice existing before the presentinvention.

One of my objects is to overcome all these objections through the mediumof a simple and inexpensive covering device which more effectivelyreinforces the weak, brittle crayon material, and practically eliminatesthe staining and soiling heretofore incurred in the use of suchmaterial. A further object is to provide foractual use of almost all ofthe crayon material, instead of immediately discarding the crayons whenthey are too short for convenient writing while held directly by thefingers.

More specifically stated, an object is to produce a protective covering:for crayons comprising a stiff reinforcing tube, well adapted to ing acombination of strong and simple clamping elements which firmly securethe reinforcing tube to the crayon.

In a very simple form of the invention, the reinforcing tube is providedwith an inner friction surface conforming to and frictionally engagingthe outer face of the weak crayon, and one end of this tube is taperedand slotted longitudinally to produce yieldable gripping ele- 10 ments.This tapering slotted end portion of the reinforcing tube is relativelythin and corre-. spondingly weak, but it is amply reinforced by asurrounding band or sleeve, which frictionally engages the outer face ofthe tapered gripping elements, so as to firmly force them onto thecrayon. This reinforcing band is removable from the relatively weak endportion of the tube to permit adjustment of the crayon, but when thedevice is in service, said detachable band is firmly seated on saidendportion to perform its function as a reinforcing element whilepreventing displacement of the crayon.

The stiff reinforcing tube herein disclosed can be made of thin materialto provide a light handle for the crayon without objcctionablyincreasing the diameter of the article. In this respect it resembles theold paper wrappers. However, it is not cemented to the crayon, and as areinforcing element, it positively preventsbreakage of the weak crayonmaterial, and it can be used indefinitely to hold an extremely largenumber of crayons. It also eliminates the manufacturing cost involved inseparately wrapping each crayon, and entirely overcomes the severalobjections which heretofore appeared in forcibly removing the adheringpaper from the crayon material. Furthermore, the simple reinforcingdevice has a desirable neat appearance, and it provides the desired firmwrapper or covering which separates the fingers from the smeary crayonand can be most conveniently grasped in using the crayon, regardless ofthe length of the crayon material.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention comprisesthe novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore specifically described and shown in the accompanying drawing, whichillustrates one form of the invention. However, it is to be understoodthat the invention comprehends changes, variations and modificationswithin the scope of the claim hereunto appended.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a device embodying the features of thisinvention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the reinforcing tube, thecrayon being shown in elevation.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1, showing therelatively thin tapered portion of the tube and the clamping ring whichreinforces the tube and crayon at this portion of the device. p

In this simple form of the invention, the stiff reinforcing tube 4 ismade of a single piece of thin material, for example, thin fiber, or thelike. It has an inner friction surface conforming to and frictionallyengaging the outer face of a brittle crayon 5. The outer face of saidtube is exposed to provide a firm handle for the reinforced crayon, andsaid tube may be open at both ends to receive and discharge the crayon.

Inv the manufacture and use of crayons, it is economical and otherwiseadvantageous to mold the crayon material into the form of relativelylong sticks, and the present invention provides for the most desirableincrease in the lengths of the crayons. It will be observed that theunused crayon may extend from both ends of the tube i, and thatregardless of the length of the crayon, the tube will cover andreinforce the portions of the crayon material which are ordinarilygrasped in using the crayon.

I will now refer to the means for securing the tube to the crayon. Thedischarge end of the tube is tapered and slotted longitudinally toproduce an annular series of yieldable, tapering gripping members 6integral with but of less thickness than the reinforcing tube, saidgripping members having tapered outer faces. A clamping ring or band Isurrounds said annular series of gripping members. The band I isslidable on the gripping members 6, and it can 'be readily removed fromthe discharge end of extending longitudinally of the slotted end of thetube, and when this elongated band is frictionallyunited with thegripping members 6, it is practically a continuation of the reinforcingtube in the areas which are subjected to severe bending stresses.

The external diameter of the clamping band 1 is preferably larger thanthat of the body portion of the reinforcing tube, and the outer face ofsaid band may be non-circular, preferably polygonal, to preventaccidental rolling of the device. However, the more important functionsof this detachable band I are to firmly secure the reinforcing tube tothe crayon, and at the same time reinforce the weak portion of the tube.

I claim:

In a device for reinforcing and covering brittle crayons, a reinforcingtube made of a single piece of thin fiber having an inner frictionsurface conforming to and frictionally engaging the outer face of thebrittle crayon, the internal diameter of said fiber tube being uniformthroughout the length of the tube, the outer face of said fiberreinforcing tube being exposed to provide a protective covering for thereinforced crayon, said tube being open at both ends to receive a crayonlonger than the tube, the discharge end of said thin fiber tube beingtapered atits outer face only and slotted longitudinally to produce anannular series of yieldable, tapering gripping members integral with butof less thickness than the body portion of the fiber reinforcing tube,said tube being otherwise uniform in thickness throughout its length,and a detachable clamping band surrounding and slidable longitudinallyof said annular series of yieldable gripping members, said clamping bandhaving a tapered inner face frictionally united with said tapered outerface, so as to reinforce the tapering gripping members While securingthe reinforced crayon to the tube, the outer face of said detachableclamping band being polygonal and larger in diameter than the outer faceof the body portion of said reinforcing tube.

' EDWARD S. GARVEY.

